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STRIEBIG
CUTS A DASH AT INNOV 8
A
Striebig vertical panel saw has brought increased
efficiency to Innov 8 Ltd, a small, highly successful
Doncaster company that specialises in creating
bespoke display solutions. Set up in 1994 by founder
and managing director Kevin Lund to project manage
interior design contracts, it has since enlarged
its services to deliver a total turnkey package.
This covers all the design work, production of
prototypes, manufacture and installation. Among
the eye-catching items it produces are complete
retail interiors, touch screen displays, illuminated
displays, information points, visitor displays,
food retailing areas and exhibition stands, amply
demonstrating the company's motto, 'Ideas into
Reality'. Its most recent venture has been the
introduction of al-cove, a linked workstation
and screen system to meet the requirements of
today's workplace. With such blue-chip names as
ICI, Proctor & Gamble, Saatchi & Saatchi, the
Chelsea Building Society and Lloyds of London
listed amongst its clients, the young, enterprising
business posted a turnover of £750,000 in its
last financial year, its best yet. One of the
secrets of its success is the use of a wide mix
of materials, with designs calling for combinations
of wood, metal, plastic, glass, vinyl, stainless
steel, marble and other finishes, depending on
the brief.
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The
Striebig Compact vertical panel saw at Innov
8. On the left is the Al-Ko mibile dust extraction
unit. The saw cuts perfect edges on wood,
particle board, MDF, non-ferrous metal and
plastic panels. |
When
it recently decided to invest in a new saw for
the joinery workshop to make its cutting operations
more efficient, a major stumbling block was the
lack of available space. This was overcome by
choosing a Striebig Compact vertical panel saw,
supplied by the Swiss manufacturer's sole UK agent,
TM Machinery Sales Ltd of Leicester. Kevin Lund
is delighted with the advantages provided by the
saw. "After agreeing we needed a vertical model
because of space constraints, we looked at what
was on offer before deciding to buy the Striebig.
I consider it's the best vertical panel saw on
the market in terms of quality of build, accuracy,
ease of use and its labour saving capabilities.
"Although it's not the cheapest saw we looked
at, we knew we were buying into quality. We have
not been disappointed as it has made cutting better,
quicker and simpler and enabled us to become more
efficient." The Compact is the smallest in the
Striebig range, but packs the same high performance
as larger models. It has been designed to meet
the needs of users who require a small vertical
panel saw for all their sizing cuts. The TRK 5207
chosen by Innov 8 measures 5.7m long, 2.8m high
and a space-saving 1.5m from wall to front. It
can size panels to a maximum of 4600mm x 2070mm
and has a maximum depth of cut of 60mm (a smaller
model is available to handle panels to a maximum
size of 3100mm x 1644mm). Among the array of features
that guarantee precise, accurate cuts with perfect
edges every time, are a rigid, self-supporting,
heavily braced and welded saw frame, 15 roller
panel supports with workpiece locking, a perfectly
balanced saw unit for high operating convenience
and a quiet 3kW motor, thanks to super-silent
sound insulation. It also has adjustable penetration
and generously dimensioned longitudinal stops.
It
cuts smooth edges on particle boards, acrylics,
composites, plastics and non-ferrous metal panels
to an accuracy of 1/10mm with the help of the
optional digital measuring system. The support
rollers are aligned and ground to a precision
of 1/100mm as a further guarantee of Striebig's
unlimited measuring precision. Innov 8 use it
for all their panel cutting work on wood-based
products, chiefly MDF, chipboard and laminates,
as well as with plastic sheets. It has also been
used to cut 48mm thick solid wood doors, a job
it did without any difficulty. An elderly bench
saw was used before which, although it had an
extending table, only ripped panels up to10ft
x 5ft and squared panels up to a maximum of 2ft
x 2ft. The Striebig can square panels up to 7ft
square and accommodate the largest sheets they
use, which are MDF boards measuring 9ft x 6.5ft.
Says joinery foreman Steve Cross: "The quality
of the cut is first class. It's straighter, squarer
and cleaner than before so there's no longer any
need for replaning. It's also labour saving. With
the bench saw we needed two men to haul the panels
across the workshop and place and hold them in
position, but with the Striebig it's a one man
job to easily position all but the largest panels.
Doing multiple cuts is also now a one-man job."
He says the horizontal and vertical digital measuring
system is a great benefit. "We no longer make
sizing mistakes as you are not reliant on someone
doing the job by eye. As long as we put in the
exact measurements required that's exactly what
the saw does, time after time. Unless you abuse
it it can't do anything wrong, for example if
we haven't put the stops on travel it won't cut,
which is a great safety advantage."
He
adds that it's easy to use with minimal training
needed for the joinery staff, all time served
bench hands, and it has overcome the problem of
lack of floorspace. Innov 8 also chose the optional
scoring saw unit. This gives perfect edges on
hard, brittle or fibrous surfaces such as MFC,
laminated boards and veneered panels. They have
also made up their own angle cutting unit so they
can cut panels at any angle required. The design
of the Compact results in low dust emissions,
with an extraction performance less than 2mg/m3
total dust based on an average working shift of
eight hours. To take away the dust TM Machinery
Sales supplied an Al-Ko mobile dust extraction
unit that Steve Cross says works very well and
keeps the surrounding areas in the joinery dust
free. Innov 8 prides itself on designing and producing
top quality products that meet the demanding needs
of its customers. With its precise accuracy, speed
and ease of use, the Striebig saw is helping the
company improve even more on its reputation for
delivering quality.
Sales
enquiries to Matt Pearce, T.M. Machinery Sales
T: 0116 271 7155. F: 0116 271 5862
E: sales@tmservices.co.uk
W: www.tmpartnership.co.uk
Editorial enquiries to Stephen Barry Publicity.
Tel: 020 8341 6660. email: stephenbarry@clara.co.uk
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